Air distributing device



June 23, 1936. P. F. SPERRY AIR DISTRIBUTING DEVICE 2 Shee ts Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1935 f5 -fil7zfo71 June 23, 1936. SPERRY 2,045,002

AIR DISTRIBUTING DEVIQE Filed March 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,045,002 AIR DISTRIBUTING DEVICE Philmore F. Sperry, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Excel Auto Radiator Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March '1, 1935, Serial N0. 9,763 IClaim. (01. 93-2) The invention relates to heat exchange devices and is particularly adapted to be embodied in heaters for automobiles, and the like. However, the invention is limited to this use only to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

One form of the invention is embodied in a heater for an automobile. The improved heater comprises a radiator core adapted to be connected by suitable conduits to the cooling system of the automobile engine. The improved heater is mounted by any suitable means in the interior of the automobile and means is provided for advancing air through the radiator core so that there will be an exchange of heat between the cooling fluid flowing through the core and the air advanced through the core. Secured to the radiator core is a face plate or front panel having a polygonal flange which carries a polygonal rim or member which, in turn, carries .a plurality of vanes or shutters. The polygonal rim is secured adjustably to the polygonal flange and the shutters or vanes are mounted adjustably on the polygonal rim so that the shutters or vanes may be placed in a plurality of adjusted positions to deflect the air advanced through the core. This construction permits one to direct the flow of heated air in any desired direction or to close the shutters or vanes entirely to retard the advance of air through the core.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following detailed description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an automobile heater which embodies the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, a radiator core and an electric motor forming parts of the improved heater being shown in elevation.

Fig. 8 is an inside or back view of a plurality of shutters and means for mounting them which shutters and mounting means form parts of the improved heater.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2, the shutters and the mounting means being omitted from this view, and

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is embodied, the reference character l0 designates generally a radiator core of the type usually employed in automobile heaters. These cores usually comprise a plurality of vertically extending tubes connected at their upper and lower ends to manifolds which are con-- nected, in turn, to the cooling system: of the internal combustion engine of the automobile. In this instance, the tubes of the radiator core are shown at H and the upper and lower manifolds are shown at l2 and I3, respectively. The tubes H are preferably provided with relatively thin metallic fins [4 which facilitate the exchange of heat between the cooling fluid flowing through the tubes II and the air which is advanced between the tubes by any suitable means such as a fan l5 driven by an electric motor I6. The radiator core 10 comprises an outer shell or housing I I carried by brackets [8 whereby the heater may be mounted upon the dash board of the automobile. It is understood, of course, that the electric motor I6 is operated from the electrical system of the automobile and that the cooling fluid which flows through the tubes II is higher in temperature than the air within the automobile body.

Mounted on the housing I! is a face plate or panel which may be considered as part of the housing [1. The face plate or panel 20 is provided with a relatively large polygonal opening 22 which is bounded by a flange 23 formed integral with and extending forwardly of the face plate or panel 20. Mounted on the polygonal flange 23 is a shutter support 25 which is preferably formed from sheet metal and has a polygonal flange 26 adapted to engage the outer surfaces of the flange 23. The rim of the shutter support 25 is preferably L-shaped as shown at 28 (Fig. 5). Extending diametrically on the shutter support 25 is a U-shaped frame 30 which is formed integral with the rim 28 comprising the flange 26.

The rim 28 has a plurality of inwardly projecting lugs 32, 33, 34, and which support shutters or vanes 31, 38, 39, and 40, respectively. The shutters 31, 38, 39,'and 40 are provided with inwardly extending lugs 42, 43, 44, and 45, respectively, which are alined with the lugs 32, 33, 34, and 35, respectively. Rivets or pins 48 pivot the lugs 42, 43, 44, and on the lugs 32, 33, 34, and 35, respectively, split spring washers 49 being interposed between the lugs on the rivets or pins 48 in such manner that they retard displacement of the shutters 31, 38, 39, and 40 around their respective pivotal axes. Each of the shutters 31, 38, 39, and 40 has an outwardly extending lip portion 50 which may be grasped to displace the shutters outwardly against the action of the spring washers 49.

Projecting through slots and 56 formed in the U-shaped frame 38 are pins 51 and 58, re-

spectively, which have their inner ends fixed to latch members 60 and GI,- respectively, slidably journaled within the U-shaped frame 3|). A compression spring 63 disposed between the inner ends of the latch members 60 and 6| tends to urge them in directions away from each other so that their outer ends will engage notches 66 iormed in the inner surface of the polygonal flange 23.

As illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, each corner of the polygonal flange 23 is provided with one of the notches 66 so that the shutter support 25 may be secured to the flange 23 in a plurality of adjusted positions. To displace the shutter support 25 from one position to another, it is only necessary to displace the pins 51 and 58 toward each other against the action of the spring 63, lift the support ,from the flange 23, and then rotate the shutter support 25 through a desired angle, whereupon the pins 51 and 58 may be released so that the spring 63 will cause the latch members 60 and BI to engage diametrically disposed notches 66.

It will be readily understood that the vanes or shutters 31, 38, 39, and 40 may be adjusted to bring them into any desired position with respect to the shutter support 25, and that the spring washers 49 will hold them yieldingly in their adjusted positions. This construction permits the driver of the automobile to deflect the heated air in any desired direction within the automobile body.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore; in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claim, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible, inview of the prior art.

I claim:

An air distributing device comprising a member having an aperture through which air is advanced, said member having a polygonal flange surrounding said aperture, said flange having a plurality of notches formed in its corners, a shutter support having a polygonal flange adapted to be removably telescoped on the first-mentioned flange, a shutter adjustably mounted on said shutter support, friction means for retaining the 20 shutter in any desired adjusted position, an inwardly opening U-shaped brace extending diametrically across said support, a spring pressed latch member slidably journaled in the channel provided by the U-shaped brace and engageable 25 with said notches to secure said shutter support in a plurality of adjusted positions on the polygonal flange of said member, and a pin carried by the latch member and projecting through a slot formed in the base of the U-shaped brace to effect manipulation of the latch member.

PHILMORE F. SPERRY. 

